This is another retrospective of a holiday in Bali on Balinese New Year. I wont go on about what a fun and beautiful place Bali is, ’cause it’s already spoken about so much. But what is also a must see and experience aspects about Bali is the Balinese New Year – locally called as Nyepi. Which also happens to be today 28th March 2017. This tropical place is bursting with so much culture and lot of their culture mythologically overlaps with Indian culture. Unlike what people go to Bali for the fun & frolic, Nyepi is all about bringing in the new year by maintaining silence and self-reflection. And Nyepi literally means “Day of Silence”. How serious are they about this day is that no one is allowed on the beaches or streets and one day in the year when the airport is shut. The rituals for bringing in the New Year are performed for 3-4 days. Visually and spiritually what appealed to me the most was Bhuta Yajna ritual which is performed to vanquish all the negative energies to create a a balance of God, Mankind and Nature.

The ogoh ogoh – demonic statues are paraded on the streets of the villages to appease Bhuta Kala. This process helps in purification. All of this resonated with a lot of hindu philosophies and mythologies I have grown up on.

The festival in a lot ways helped me personally. You could say it was my Eat, Pray and Love experience. I felt free as bird as I got rid of a lot of baggage just being around this atmosphere of total silence. When you see the ogoh ogoh burn to ashes, you feel that you getting rid of your own bad energies.

Standing at the crossroad of the village with the entire show of parade with the effigies was an overwhelming experience. Even with the humidity and heat, it’s always a good reason to rediscover yourself. Happy Balinese New year to all out there! To all the souls who want some cleansing from their dark demons and shadows.